Child support, spousal support, and alimony pendente lite, are all calculated in accordance with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Guidelines. The Guideline support obligation is determined by using the parties’ respective net incomes. The Court may also apply an “earning capacity” in those cases where a parent has willfully failed to obtain or maintain appropriate employment considering their age, education, training, health and work experience. In addition, the Guidelines permit the Court to award additional support for expenses related to unreimbursed medical expenses, childcare, activity fees, summer camp, and extracurricular activities.
The Court may also award the child dependency tax exemption to either of the parents during this process. Once again, tax considerations with regard to the dependent exemption, as well as the parties’ payroll deductions, play an important role in determining a parties net income. Alimony, on the other hand, is not determined through the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Guidelines. Alimony is determined based upon the parties’ reasonable needs in conjunction with the equitable division of marital property and debts. Whether your support obligation is a based on a simple calculation from your W-2 or from a complex calculation arising out of self-employment income, Attorney Gricks has handled each of these cases and, if necessary, along with additional professionals, will endeavor to obtain the most beneficial award of the support, considering all aspects of the litigation.